P.F. Fagan v. Bell Acres Mun. Auth. v. Shoup Eng'g., Inc. ~ Appeal of: Bell Acres Mun. Auth.

CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 17, 2024
Docket322 C.D. 2022
StatusUnpublished

This text of P.F. Fagan v. Bell Acres Mun. Auth. v. Shoup Eng'g., Inc. ~ Appeal of: Bell Acres Mun. Auth. (P.F. Fagan v. Bell Acres Mun. Auth. v. Shoup Eng'g., Inc. ~ Appeal of: Bell Acres Mun. Auth.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
P.F. Fagan v. Bell Acres Mun. Auth. v. Shoup Eng'g., Inc. ~ Appeal of: Bell Acres Mun. Auth., (Pa. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Paul F. Fagan and D. Mai-Lan : Fagan, husband and wife, and : Railroad Street Holdings, L.P., : f/k/a Fagan Investments, L.P. : : v. : No. 322 C.D. 2022 : Submitted: March 10, 2023 Bell Acres Municipal Authority, : Quaker Valley School District, : 2009 Camp Meeting Trust a/k/a : The 2009 Campmeeting Road Trust, : Jennifer Ashley Wiebe as Trustee : of 2009 Camp Meeting Trust a/k/a : The 2009 Campmeeting Road Trust, : and Schneider Services, Inc. : : v. : : Shoup Engineering, Inc., Kicinski : Environmental Services, LLC, and : Composite Design, Inc. : : Appeal of: Bell Acres Municipal : Authority :

BEFORE: HONORABLE PATRICIA A. McCULLOUGH, Judge HONORABLE ANNE E. COVEY, Judge HONORABLE STACY WALLACE, Judge OPINION NOT REPORTED

MEMORANDUM OPINION BY JUDGE WALLACE FILED: January 17, 2024

Bell Acres Municipal Authority (the Authority) appeals from the March 7, 2022 order of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County (trial court) denying the Authority’s motion for summary judgment. On appeal, the Authority argues the trial court should have dismissed the claims of Paul F. Fagan, D. Mai-Lan Fagan, and Railroad Street Holdings, L.P., formerly known as Fagan Investments, L.P. (collectively, the Fagans), against the Authority because the Authority is entitled to immunity under Section 8541 of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § 8541. Upon review, we affirm. I. Background The Fagans own three adjoining parcels of land in the Borough of Bell Acres, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 12a-13a. Those three parcels abut Camp Meeting Road, which the Fagans allege has a 33-foot-wide right-of-way. Id. at 13a. The Fagans, who believe a sewer line (the Sewer Line) was installed entirely on their property rather than within the bounds of the Camp Meeting Road right-of-way, initiated this matter by filing a Complaint in the trial court. Id. at 16a-17a. In their Complaint, the Fagans allege that in 2010 the Quaker Valley School District (the District), which previously owned a parcel that adjoined the Fagans’ property (Neighboring Property), reached an agreement with the Authority whereby the District would pay to install the Sewer Line, in compliance with the Authority’s requirements, to service the Neighboring Property. Id. at 13a-15a. Shoup Engineering, Inc. (Shoup) designed the Sewer Line, and Schneider Services, Inc. (Schneider) physically installed the Sewer Line. Id. at 14a. The Fagans further allege that at some point before Schneider finished installing the Sewer Line, the District conveyed the Neighboring Property to the 2009 Camp Meeting Trust (the Trust), which then completed the project. Id. The Authority accepted ownership of the Sewer Line in late 2014. Id. at 15a.

2 The Fagans also claim they discovered sewage spilling onto their property after the Sewer Line was completed in 2012. R.R. at 15a. The Fagans reported this issue to the Authority, and although the Fagans claim they do not know if the issue was ever resolved, they have not alleged sewage spilled onto their property after 2012. See id. at 15a-17a. In early 2016, the Fagans claim they noticed a sinkhole forming on their property due to a break in a storm water line “located adjacent to and running along the Sewer Line, which was pierced and damaged during the installation and construction of the Sewer Line.” Id. at 16a. The Fagans allege this caused damage to their property, the foundation of their spring house, and their fencing. Id. While investigating this sinkhole, the Fagans came to believe the Sewer Line was constructed entirely upon their property and outside the bounds of the Camp Meeting Road right-of-way. Id. at 14a. The Fagans’ Complaint, which they filed against the Authority, the District, the Trust, Schneider, Shoup, and other parties not relevant to this appeal, included the following four counts: (1) trespass, (2) negligence, (3) ejectment, and (4) injunctive relief. R.R. at 17a-20a. The Fagans requested damages, costs, an order directing the Authority to remove the Sewer Line from their property, and any other relief the trial court deemed appropriate. Id. at 17a-21a. The trial court ultimately scheduled this matter for a jury trial. R.R. at 6a. On November 4, 2021, potential jurors arrived at the Allegheny County Courthouse and the parties selected a jury and were prepared to proceed to trial. Id. at 63a-65a, 68a, 76a. Rather than proceed to trial, however, the Fagans requested the case proceed in equity without a jury. Id. at 65a. The parties then engaged in the following on-the-record discussion, the outcome of which the parties dispute in this appeal:

THE COURT: The Court is advised that [Counsel for the Fagans] has a motion for us.

3 [COUNSEL FOR THE FAGANS]: I do, Your Honor. Thank you. At this point in time, Your Honor, the plaintiffs are going to waive their claim in this lawsuit for any money damages associated with the proposed or as-built sewer system. That is all we’re willing to waive at this point in time. As a result, we believe, Your Honor, this makes it into an equity claim and that equity claims should be heard non-jury.

THE COURT: Who wants to speak? [Counsel for Shoup], you may speak now.

[COUNSEL FOR SHOUP]: Thank you, Your Honor. On behalf of Shoup Engineering, we disagree with plaintiff[s’] position that it is now solely an equity claim to be tried to the Court because negligence and trespass causes of action remain in the plaintiff[s’] civil action. As long as negligence and trespass causes of action remain, it is a case-in-law and in equity and a right to a jury trial exists and therefore the case must proceed before a jury so long as those causes of action remain.

THE COURT: Okay. Anybody else on that side? [Counsel for the Authority]?

[COUNSEL FOR THE AUTHORITY]: Yes, Your Honor. We object for several reasons including what [Counsel for Shoup] just said. I incorporate what he just said. At this stage, it is prejudicial, obviously. We’re in a situation where we brought cross-claims which would, in fact, seek contribution and indemnification which I believe [are] jury matters. Of course, I own the line which has nothing, zero, to do with placing the line where it was placed. So it seems to me this is a last minute attempt to try to bail out a claim that has no merit. I strenuously object. It is prejudicial to my client for reasons beyond what I articulate to the Court. Please note my objection to this whole proceeding. We are ready to go jury trial.

[COUNSEL FOR THE DISTRICT]: Your Honor, on behalf of the Quaker Valley School District, back in January of 2017 I filed preliminary objections on behalf of the school district and they were sustained as to the ejectment and injunction where we were dismissed as to the equitable, those counts, the equitable counts as the school district since we do not own the line. So if this case does proceed only as injunctive relief, I would move the Quaker Valley School District be dismissed because the only actions against us are trespass and --

THE COURT: Negligence.

4 [COUNSEL FOR THE DISTRICT]: And negligence, yes, Your Honor.

THE COURT: Anybody else? [Counsel for the Trust]?

[COUNSEL FOR THE TRUST]: Your Honor, I would just note that I think our position has been articulated before the Court but as long as those claims are still in existence, they carry with them a right to a jury trial and cannot be forced to a waiver.

[COUNSEL FOR THE AUTHORITY]: Your Honor, I apologize for getting up again, but we would like to reserve the right, if it’s easier for the Court to do this, to file [a] dispositive motion or a motion in limine addressing this issue. We would rather not go to calendar control to do so. Do we have leave to do that?

THE COURT: If I gave you leave to file summary judgment, right?

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P.F. Fagan v. Bell Acres Mun. Auth. v. Shoup Eng'g., Inc. ~ Appeal of: Bell Acres Mun. Auth., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pf-fagan-v-bell-acres-mun-auth-v-shoup-engg-inc-appeal-of-bell-pacommwct-2024.